The Greatest Thing In The World
In his book, The Greatest Thing In The World, Henry Drummond wrote about Love as being the ultimate measure of a true Christian. He understood that Christians imagined what their Judgment Day might look like, who would greet them, and the great esteem Jesus might lavish upon them for being a “good” Christian.
To shed light on their imaginings Drummond wrote this:
"The test of religion, the final test of religion, is not religiousness, but Love. Not what I have done, not what I have believed, not what I have achieved. But how I have discharged the common charities of life. Sins of commission in that awful indictment are not even referred to. By what we have not done, by sins of omission, we are judged. It could not be otherwise, for the withholding of love is the negation of the spirit of Christ, the proof that we never knew him, that for us, he lived in vain. It means that He suggested nothing in all our thoughts, that He inspired nothing in all our lives, that we were not once near enough to Him to be seized with the spell of His compassion for the world.
"It is in the presence of humanity that we shall be charged. And the spectacle itself, the mere sight of it, will silently judge each one. Those will be there whom we have met and helped: or there, the unpitied multitude whom we neglected or despised. No other witness need be summoned. No other charge than lovelessness shall be preferred. Be not deceived. The words which all of us shall one day hear, sound not of theology, but of life, not of churches and saints, but of the hungry and the poor, not of creeds and doctrines, but of shelter and clothing, not of Bibles and prayer books, but of cups of cold water in the name of Christ. Who is Christ? He who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick."
Jesus loved the multitudes and showed us how to do the same. He didn't speak of war, let alone sanction it or ask followers to fund it. He turned us away from all evil, asking us to turn the other cheek toward love and compassion. He told us to love our neighbors and welcome strangers. He told us to be kind. Nowhere did Jesus suggest we should deport or inflict suffering on those some believe don't belong here.
Love rules the heart of true Christians. To do, say, or believe otherwise is to take the Lord's name in vain.
To read the full 88-page book, click here.
Present Valley
My goodness this is a lot to live up to. I fear my response will not do justice to this beautiful post.
I took some time to sit with what I could imagine my judgment day to look like, who might be there and what might be said. While I am a work in progress, and make plenty of mistakes I feel pretty good about what I might experience.
My life has been good though not easy. I am not religious yet deeply spiritual and love God with all my heart. I've heard it said when you have experienced great hurt or sorrow you have to go deep inside to find great love so you can heal. Out of my healing came compassion, patience, kindness, empathy and a desire to be of service.
I know there are many people out there just like me and others who are not. My daily prayer is that love and light overcomes the darkness that is going on in our world right now.
Evangel
I love your honesty...which leads me to ask, in what way do you feel this is a lot to live up to? You are kind, thoughtful, compassionate, empathetic, and very loving. On a bad day, maybe you struggle like most humans, but love is always your goal. That's a very good thing. That's the love we're talking about, the kind we're being asked to live by. It doesn't seem difficult for you, it seems like it's embedded in your nature.
Present Valley
I am sincerely touched by the way you see me. Thank you.
It is easy for me to love and I'm not sure why...it just is as you say my nature.
And as I said, I am a work in progress.
Thanks for what you said about my honesty....sometimes I wonder am I being too honest...yet am inspired to say what I do so I just go with it. Maybe sliding into 80 has its perks about not caring so much what people think about me...just being who I really am. Maybe it's a Scorpio things about being intense and not into superficial...who knows...I appreciate that you appreciate me...and get me❤️
Faithville
Amen I too share your prayer. 🙏🏼
Slipstream
I was very moved by the paragraphs you shared from Mr. Drummond's book and believe that those paragraphs speak the Truth. I'm reminded that I do well, but I still have a lot of work to do. I have not yet attained a place of love in my heart for people who spew hate, separation, and division. Maybe there's something in Mr. Drummond's 88-page book that might help me with that. I look forward to reading it. Thank you for finding and sharing it.
Evangel
If compassion is one of the main ways we dispense love, then having compassion for a hater is what we can work toward. To find that compassion, we might imagine the fear and darkness that has its grip on a soul so filled with hate, we can imagine the angst experienced in such hate, the depravation of love, the hollow feeling inside, the morbidity consuming that soul. If we think about that, we can only feel sorrow for their misery instead of rejoice in it, and we can pray for them. That's all we can offer, nothing more.
Slipstream
Imagining what a person might have suffered as a child to make them behave the way they do might steer me toward compassion, which is akin to love. It still could be difficult, but with practice, eventually doable. Thanks for sharing that perspective; it's helpful.
Well Street
For many, the work in progress is the willingness and ability to regard ourselves as worthy of our love. It can be easier to extend kindness toward others and then berate ourselves for something as menial as forgetting an item at the market or breaking a plate.
"How well did you see God in yourself?" If a question like this were asked on judgment day, I wouldn't be shocked, though I might squirm as I came up with my answer.
Evangel
Oh, it's so easy to get mad at ourselves. You can be sure there's a big difference between kicking ourselves over "spilled milk" and kicking a person when they're down. Heaven knows the difference.
The author writes, "Who is Christ? He who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick." You have lived up to the love of Christ. This far outweighs any misdemeanors you've committed and interpreted as a lack of love or unkindness toward yourself in a moment of harsh self-judgment. It is not heaven's judgment, to be sure.
Wilsons Grave
When I get outta line or sorts, I do my best to remember there's a child in the grownup who's triggered me. I don't want the scene to be shown back to me in heaven unless it's worthy of praise. I guess there's plenty in my past to judge, and though I believe all is forgiven, it doesn't mean I won't have to review where I faltered. I read through his book. It's real and he's real good in pointing to issues where I've failed. I know I can do more out in the world, but sometimes the best thing i can do for God and all of heaven above is take care of my own self. Thanks for the interesting read. I enjoyed his writing...rightly old fashioned.
Evangel
Thank you for your comment. Well said.
Homeless Valley
Thanks for posting this. It's very inspiring and very clear. I wish every pastor would read this in their next church service. Love should rule the heart of every Christian, but we are not perfect. Still we should try because we've been taught that we are here to serve each other, and this is a perfect reminder, even if it was written over a century ago.
Evangel
I think people have forgotten what love looks like. They think it's more about falling in love with someone. So reading this in a church service would likely bring parishioners back to a truer understanding of the Sermon on the Mount, and how one can practice it in their daily life. Thanks for your comment.
Faithville
Yes…may we embrace and have the perspective of the Lord. 🙏🏼
Faithville
And the greatest command is love. If we can daily start with this command and intention, may love shine through our light and be received through interactions and compassion for others. 🙏🏼
Evangel
Absolutely. It's the greatest command, and the most difficult to master. But we can all do our best by following our heart instead of acting through the negativity that circles through our mind. Thanks for commenting.